Illustration editing best practices

Last updated on Jun 11, 2026

Learn how to edit and prepare your illustrations for submission to Adobe Stock, including best practices for color, resolution, and file quality.

Tips to create illustrations

Strong illustrations stand out when they combine a consistent style, commercial relevance, and a clear visual story. To maximize your earning potential, focus on:

Style consistency across sets or series within your collection.
Current global trends align with customers' needs worldwide.
Keeping text minimal unless you are creating editorial illustrations.

Best practices for illustrations

Keep these do's and don'ts in mind when creating and selecting illustrations for submission.

Do's	Dont's
Submit clean, high-resolution illustrations Upload illustrations with commercial potential and consider the story they tell Develop your own unique perspective	Copy or imitate other Contributors' styles Include recognizable people, trademarks, or locations without proper releases

Learning resources to create illustrations

These resources can help you build your skills and create illustrations that meet Adobe Stock standards.

Submit distinct illustrations

Select your strongest three to five illustrations per series, focusing on variety and value over volume. Submitting too many similar versions can overwhelm the Adobe Stock collection and may result in content refusal. Learn more about the distinct content submission guidelines for Adobe Stock.

Edit illustrations for submission

Before uploading your illustrations to Adobe Stock, edit and refine them to look polished, meet technical standards, and get them ready for commercial or editorial use.

Practices	Details
Clean canvas	Remove any stray marks, dust, or smudges, especially in scanned or hand-drawn illustrations. Use tools such as the Spot Healing Brush or Clone Stamp in Adobe Photoshop to tidy up small imperfections.
Adjust contrast and color	Colors should be vibrant and appropriate to the subject. Use levels or curves to enhance contrast while preserving detail.
Maintain edge clarity	Identify pixelation or jagged edges and smooth them as needed. Avoid blurry lines unless they are intentional for stylistic effect.
Remove unnecessary borders or artifacts	Crop out scanner edges, unintended white space, or paper texture unless it is a deliberate creative choice. The illustration is centered and cleanly placed within the frame.
Ensure high-quality file resolution and dimensions	The quality of all illustrations must be at least 4MP (megapixels). Start with high-resolution scans or exports, as upscaling low-resolution illustrations may reduce quality.
Avoid heavy filters or compression	Avoid overediting that introduces artifacts or distorts the original illustration. Use creative filters only when they enhance the style. Save files with minimal compression to maintain optimal quality, such as using JPEG quality settings of 10 or higher.

Technical and legal requirements for illustration submissions

Submit illustrations to Adobe Stock

Learn

Learn with step-by-step video tutorials and hands-on guidance right in the app.

Community

Join discussions, find answers, learn from experts, and share your knowledge.

Adobe Home

Access your favorite Creative Cloud apps, services, file management, and more.